Letters to the editor

On Feb. 8, 2008, the sugar plant in Port Wentworth blew up killing 14 people and injuring dozens of others. There has been nothing done about this except a few fines.

This did not hurt Imperial Sugar, since they gave its CEO a $1.5 million bonus for the “good” job he did.

The refinery ran for almost 100 years with modifications being made and new equipment being installed. There was a Bull gang that kept the packing and silos clean.

When Imperial Sugar took over, this all stopped. There was sugar dust and sugar all over the silos, the fourth floor and the powder room was bad with sugar dust covering motors and equipment.

The worst areas were the silos, top and bottom. The sugar and sugar dust covered everything with up to two feet of material.

In order to keep the dust down, they covered the belts with covers. These covers kept the sugar dust and sugar enclosed on steel belts with steel rollers and bearings, when bearings went out they would shoot sparks everywhere.

Sugar and sugar dust are both highly flammable. A high school graduate who took chemistry or physics knows that when you put flammable material in an enclosed area it becomes a bomb when a spark or flame is introduced.

These were put in a few months or less before the explosion. Since the engineers and upper management all went to college, they should have known this.

No one seemed to care about safety including the safety department.

So I am asking if anybody is going to be held responsible for this, from the CEO down, especially since the CEO’s right hand man wanted to shut down the refinery and clean it up just a few weeks before it happened.

It seems to me that the Justice Department should charge someone with manslaughter or worse.

Someone should be held accountable for the killing of 14 people and injuring dozens more.

CHARLES JOHNSON

Garden City

Commissioner: Why I voted ‘no’ on pay hike

The issue of raising Chatham County commissioner salaries has generated a lot of controversy, which shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Even in good economic times, the specter of politicians increasing their pay is not a popular one; many voters doubt that elected officials at any level fully earn their pay. That’s a shame, because good public servants work hard.

On a recent Friday, Chatham County commissioners voted themselves a 44 percent raise. I voted against the raise and have received plenty of feedback, some of it warmly supportive and some of it harshly critical.

As this newspaper has reported, I do not oppose a small raise; I have consistently opposed a big one.

The commission has gone a dozen years without any raise. We furnish our own cell phones, computers and Internet connections. Granted, we know up front we will be paid modestly for what is officially part-time work. But every commissioner who truly serves his or her constituency soon learns that this is about the fullest-time part-time work imaginable.

And I love this work: serving the people of my district and the entire county has become, other than motherhood, the most fulfilling mission in my life. It is a privilege to serve in a role where I can make a difference for our citizens, often one person at a time.

Doing the work “right” makes holding down another job a challenge — not an impossible challenge, but a challenge nonetheless. That is why, after 12 years of inflation, I support a modest increase.

Such an increase was not on the table, though. During commission discussions of a pay raise, I did not have the chance to discuss a raise at any length with my constituents: with people out of work and businesses hurting, even a small raise takes serious consideration. So I voted “no.”

One county employee, a devoted public servant herself, asked me when her colleagues could expect a raise. We must consider our actions within this larger context: that is what our constituents expect of us.

What I do not have to consider is the blessing entrusted to me and my fellow public servants in our county and city: The blessing and the honor of service to others.

HELEN L. STONE

Commissioner

District 1

Chairman Pro Tem

Savannah

Build up the pressure for ‘local preference’

We are pleased that the furor has subsided over at City Hall and we are glad that the Savannah Morning News and the rest of the power structure has seemed to backed off of some of the “pressure” it was putting on certain folk and certain places.

But, c’mon folk, let’s don’t go to sleep at the switch.

Things may have gotten better. But, we are not home free yet.

A couple things bother me in particular. The pay raise for the Chatham County commissioners was so blatant that it’s scary. How could they, in these times, do such a thing with little or no visible backlash of any size? Oh, I read your editorial. But, that and other complaints are no where near what you’re capable of.

Then, there is this “Local Preference” thing.

The City Council, County Commissioners and the School Board all seem to have avoided the question. The Savannah Morning News? Same thing.

We’re made an assertion for some time now. We’ve asked local government staffers and elected folk, many, many times. We cannot seem to get a straight answer.

So, we brought it to the Savannah Morning News. We’ve heard you speak to the point of “local contracts for local contractors.” You’ve given various reasons for this “local preference” you favor.

But, you won’t answer the question: Is it in violation of the U.S. Constitution?

We hope that as we go forward, as the new County Commission gets sworn in, then, settled in, we hope that the Savannah Morning News puts the kind of “pressure” on these politicians that they need and deserve.

HENRY T. WILFONG, JR.

Savannah

A new respect for wheelchair ramps

As the operator of a local walking tour company, I often notice the city’s wheelchair ramps installed on street corners. I can say from first-hand experience, they are a welcome improvement over the last five or six years.

I’ve also found a new respect for the many who use and need them.

Just after Thankgiving this year, I suffered a serious scooter accident which will take me off my feet for awhile. Although temporary, I find myself in a wheelchair facing a long period of rehab. While it has dampened my holiday a bit, my experience has enlightened me to a fresh perspective on the 2012 season’s end. The warm support and kindness showed me by friends, neighbors and industry colleagues has been touching and encouraging to say the least.

Special thanks to George and Phyllis Greene of the Savannah Area Tennis Association, fellow tour guides from Old Savannah Tours, my close associate, Anthony Higgins, and Auburn booster, Clint Langley for stepping out for me. Also thank you to Steve Ellis who’s taken time from his own fledgling walking tour business for pitching in as needed.

Happy New Year to all who make Savannah a wonderful place to live, work and enjoy!

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The SMN avoided the "question" again. IS LOCAL PREFERENCE IN VIOLATION OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION? That's what my Letter to the editor was all about.

City Hall and The County have danced around this serious issue continuously. Over at City Hall, a strange "calm" has descended. You can almost hear some "snoring" going on. At the County, they seem so intent on getting themselves a "fair and living wage" that they don't worry about how local contractors fare. .

It seems that a strange malaise has taken over. I MISS Mayor Otis Johnson.

I think I'll write some Open Letters to the City Council and County Commission.

Commissioner Stone needs to stop shedding the crocodile tears. C'mon Commissioner, you knew what was required and expected of you, when you ran for office-how many terms ago? And, this "officially part-time work", is after all, just that. It is supposed to be a "Civic Honor", not a full-time job.

But, if circumstances have changed that drastically, and if we need to elect "politicians", then expect them to be PAID accordingly.

Don't run for "public office" as a "citizen" and expect to be paid like a politician. So, what is it to be? Is Savannah ready for the "Big Time"? What happened, all of a certain? Do we really want to be like L.A. and Detroit and D.C.?

Are just another form of bid rigging. Our government ( ALL ) can only afford to purchase (anything) from the most least expensive providers. Period. Having the additional bureaucracy to inspect,evaluate and administer this travesty of injustice is just another example of MORE WASTED TAXPAYER MONEY.

... shows what a toothless tiger OSHA really is. Top management made a conscious decision based on profits and allowed a catastrophic exposure to exist. They had no problem correcting the exposure when they rebuilt the plant did they. Not even a serious slap on the wrist, I hope they get their pants sued off in third party lawsuits.

It's not too hard to count the people who cares ANYTHING about this. In fact, I only have to use one hand. TADA !! And I don't see where mayonaisse is involved. Is the commenter making a sandwich ? Better stay away from Miracle Whip unless you're a yankee.

Also, I miss Mayor Otis like a hole in the head. Oops, this is Savannah, better put on my bullet-proof vest and body armor.

Bottomline, unless "We, the people" DEMAND more from our elected politicians, we will continue to get the "slack service" that we get. WE will continue to get "regulatory" agencies that do not regulate. WE will continue to get gouged (slowly but surely) by having pay increases foisted upon us, "without debate". All under the guise of "responsive" leadership.

Just waiting is another "Cliff" of sorts. It's called "SUIT" as in, for violation of the Law (Constitution, or otherwise). Our City and County governments are skating on thin ice. And, they do so with an impunity that amazes.

Your "seen the outrage" remark reminded me that WE need to raise some cane about the "local preference" thing. That is before we get a big SUIT filed against us. One of my members asked if I had a bona fide legal opinion that Local Preference is unconstitutional?

Remember, each case stands on its own merits. But the following language from some items I wrote and the Court decisions, seem to make it very clear that "if you are a Nevada citizen in California, you get the same rights California residents have."

I'm writing and making these items public so that the City, County and Schools have been publicly, and repeatedly warned, as to the "possibility". Thus it will be abundantly clear that they capriciously ignored our warnings-should someone choose to sue.

The Courts have ruled that employment opportunities constitute a fundamental right under federal law, and as a result local hiring preferences can only be upheld when the municipality can demonstrate a substantial reason for differential treatment. High unemployment rates and a weak economy do not meet the criteria for implementing differential treatment.